Huacarpay School leads the green revolution

Huacarpay Primary school near Cusco has recently been awarded first place in a national completion to find the greenest school in Peru. The competition organised by Non Government Organisation IMA considered that Haurcapay not only showcases the practical aspects of running a green school, but most importantly is changing attitudes and behaviour throughout the community.

For two years now the small school has been focussing its teaching and learning through ‘sustainability education’. In this way it is easier to see how all of their activities link together. Teachers have attended GlobalEd training days about Education for Sustainable Development along with colleagues from nearby schools.

Huacarpay is part of a network of 10 or so schools that not only collaborate on local educational development they also have link schools with partners in Torbay, South Devon. Haurcapay like the other schools is able to realise its ambitions in implementing Education for Sustainability because of ‘fair trade’ initiatives with its link school Eden Park Primary School in Brixham.

Head teacher Yanet Casiperalta insists that the turnaround in children’s attitudes to learning is as a result of them having realistic and practical reasons for study.  Many of the techniques they are learning in school are now being taken home. Composting, small scale horticulture, protected cultivation, animal husbandry, reusing and recycling are fast becoming part of everyday life in the small town of Haurcapay.

Students at the school are able to apply their learning in the classroom in all their subjects to the general green management of their school and community, both in Haurcapay and with their link school in Torbay.